


treacherous

by thefrizz13



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, baby's first fanfic lol, hope i'm tagging this right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-12 00:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15983840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefrizz13/pseuds/thefrizz13
Summary: This is a love story.Just not at all the one she thought it’d be.





	treacherous

**Author's Note:**

> hello I am not a writer but here we are
> 
> I wrote this in pieces in one day and then edited it on my phone on the train ride home sooo... hopefully it's coherent?
> 
> this is inspired by/loosely based on a real case, and it's also my first fanfic for anything ever, so be forewarned
> 
> (also: yeah, the title is a taylor swift song)

She meets Cooper when the sun is shining bright and high in the sky and the air smells like spring and she feels like vacation.

She thinks he’s sweet. He thinks she’s beautiful.

They both think they should get married. 

This is a love story. Just not at all the one she thought it’d be.

***

Their son, Eli, is 4 years old the first time Cooper puts his hands on him. She’s endured this treatment for years, always believing he’s on the cusp of change, he means it this time, but Eli is off limits. She’s considered it hundreds (thousands?) of times over the years, but this time she means it.

She leaves. (She tries.)

Cooper finds her packing her bags and immediately starts taking everything out and throwing whatever he thinks will do the most damage. He’s yelling so loud that the neighbors call the police, and that night she’s forced to look a concerned officer in the eye and tell them everything is fine. It’s just a misunderstanding.

It takes another year, but she’s Felicity Megan Smoak, dammit, and she will protect the best thing that’s ever happened to her if it’s the last thing she does. She’s a genius. She uses every resource at her disposal, and finally, police arrive at their home once again, this time to take Cooper into custody.

It’s over. (It isn’t.)

***

“Ms. Smoak, we’ve received information that your life has been threatened by an inmate, a Mr. Seldon. We recommend police protection until we can either disprove the threat or neutralize it,” the detective is all business even while her world is narrowing in on her.

She was supposed to be free of this; he was supposed to sit down and face the consequences and leave her and Eli alone.

“Ok. What do I need to do?” She knows what she wants to do. She wants to take Eli and curl around him and lay on the floor and wish everything away. Instead, she accepts the constant presence of a detective outside her new home and the panic button that becomes a staple.

(It doesn’t work. Nothing ever worked to stop him.)

Cooper sends some wannabe hitman after them, and it’s only his relative inexperience that saves them from harm. The guy makes it all the way into the house before police are even aware of his presence, and even then it’s a shaking and terrified Felicity, Eli sleeping soundly in another room, that saves herself by hitting him over the head with the first thing she can find.

(It’s a frying pan. Thank you, Rapunzel.)

She doesn’t trust the police after that. She needs to make sure she and her son are safe, so she immediately researches anyone and anything that can make it happen.

She finds one Oliver Queen: ex-marine and current private investigator. He’s got a steep price, but with the money she’s saved up over the years she can afford him, so she doesn’t hesitate.

***

Oliver’s taken on a lot of different cases in his day, but he thinks this is the first time he’s ever had a client this terrified yet determined at the same time.

The kid’s adorable, he’ll admit. Still innocent in the best way with bright blue eyes that match his mother’s. Once he’s caught up on the case, Oliver immediately springs into action.

“Alright. Since he seems to find you wherever you go, what we’re gonna do is set you up in a safe house--”

Felicity cuts in with an annoyed “why would labeling a house as safe make him any less likely to find it?”

Oliver pauses and has to remind himself of the sheer terror this woman has been through before he calmly replies, “Ms. Smoak, you came to me because I’m more effective than the police. Now if you’ll let me finish,” he stops and gives her a look despite his best efforts, “we’re going to set you up in a safe house. Three of them.”

“... what?”

Now he has her attention. “We’re going to keep you moving between three different safe houses to make it that much harder for this Seldon character to pinpoint where you and your son are. I’ll have my best people with you, too, because you’re right, a label isn’t enough.”

She eyes him warily, “And you really think this is going to stop him from getting to me? To us? I can’t let anything happen to him.” Her eyes drift to Eli playing on the floor of the office with a tablet (like mother, like son) as she speaks.

“He’s already been through so much. The psychologist assigned to the case-- I think her name was Waller?-- said he seems to be mostly ok but he’s shy and doesn’t really trust easily and--”

“I’m not going to let anything happen to either of you Ms. Smoak,” Oliver cuts in before she can finish spiraling, “I assure you. In fact, I’m personally going to be protecting you at each location, along with my people.”

Felicity starts to relax for what seems like the first time in 7 years. (The first time since she met Cooper.) She believes he’ll keep them safe.

***

“This is exhausting. I can’t find Eli’s favorite teddy bear and I’m starting to think I left it at the last house,” Felicity pouts while she digs through the duffle bag she hasn’t entirely unpacked even once in the month they’ve been transferring between safe houses.

“I got it out earlier; he’s playing with it right now.” Oliver points to the 5 year old laying across the couch. He’s holding a teddy bear complete with little glasses and a shirt that says ‘Being Beary Smart is Cool!’.

As they both get lost watching the little boy play, Oliver can’t help but think that the past month has been nothing like what he expected. Felicity has been nothing like what he expected. She’s beautiful, of course, he noticed that the first time he met her, but she’s also stubborn and brilliant and brave and one of the most dedicated moms he’s ever seen. Eli, too, is different from what he expected the 5 year old to be like, especially knowing the things the child has gone through at the hands of his own father.

Oliver finds he wants to protect them. He’s getting paid and this is his job, yes, but he actually cares about the little family. He wants them safe.

Felicity glances at Oliver, who seems lost in thought. She really appreciates everything he’s doing for them, even if she complains every now and then. She knows it’s a terrible idea, but she can’t help but feel… safe around him. It’s been a long time since she felt safe.

(Plus he can cook!)

***

After 2 months of nothing from Cooper, Oliver decides to keep them in one place for longer than a week. They’ve been at this safe house for the past 3 weeks, and Eli has even started calling the room he sleeps in ‘his very own big-boy room’. Felicity is sitting on the floor in front of a muted television playing the local news while she works with Eli on his reading lessons when John Diggle walks into the room looking for Oliver.

“Hi John!” Eli is immediately distracted from his mother’s words as the familiar man walks closer. He’s Oliver’s second in command and has been nearly as involved in their protection as Oliver himself, and Eli has been enthralled since day one when he asked Digg to pick him up in his ‘giant comfy pillow arms’.

The man smiles at the boy and ruffles his hair before spotting Oliver in the attached kitchen and heading over there. “Oliver, man. I need to talk to you.”

Oliver can hear the hesitance in the other man’s voice, and even though it’s been all quiet on the Cooper-front, he doesn’t feel comfortable leaving Felicity and Eli in the room by themselves. Instead, he motions Digg over to the farthest corner of the kitchen away from the two people who have quickly become exceedingly important to him.

“Yeah?”

Digg gives him a look like Oliver should know what he has to say. “This is the second week the check has bounced, Oliver. I don’t think Felicity can afford our services anymore.” He looks pained to say it, and Oliver knows the man has come to care for the little family in the 3 and a half months they’ve been protecting them.

He scowls anyway, “Digg, there’s a man out there hellbent on either killing or maiming both of them. I can’t just leave them to fend for themselves.”

Digg rubs his hand over his face before saying “I know that, Oliver. That’s the last thing I want, but this is a business and we can’t run on fumes. We need the income.”

“I’m not leaving them.”

Diggle stares at Oliver for a moment before lowering his voice further, “You need to figure something else out, then. We may be willing to keep doing this for nothing, but I don’t think the others will be.”

Oliver knows he’s right. They employ good men, but only Oliver and John have really come to care about the two blondes sitting in the other room. He thinks through his options. The safe houses are part of the company, so staying here without income would only drain their resources. His own place, however…

“Alright,” he says as he comes to a decision, “looks like we’re leaving this house and going to my place.”

Just as the words leave his mouth, he hears Felicity gasp and whisper “Oh no,” so quietly he almost misses it. His heart starts racing as he and Digg run across the room to her and Eli, and at first he doesn’t understand what brought on the reaction. Then he glances up to the still-muted television.

“Breaking news: prominent forensic psychologist Amanda Waller was shot and killed outside her office just hours ago. There does not seem to be a suspect at this time, and police caution that the shooter is still at large.”

***

“Are you really super sure, though? Like completely?”

Oliver sighs, “Felicity, for the thousandth time, yes. I am absolutely sure that I want you and Eli here where I can keep you both safe. Especially now that he’s even more unhinged and out there attacking people for just being connected to the case.”

They’ve known each other for 4 months at this point, all under intense circumstances, but Felicity is pretty sure she’s fallen in love with him. It’s idiotic and pathetic, she knows, but he’s so kind and handsome and good with Eli. He protects them and makes her feel safe and she can’t remember ever feeling like this with Cooper, even in the beginning. She’s only going to embarrass herself with her feelings, she’s sure of it, but it’s too late now.

Even Eli loves him. The shy and cautious boy from a few months ago is gone. In his place is a full of life, eager to learn little boy who follows Oliver around the kitchen whenever he can. She’s even caught him just asking Oliver for a big hug. (If she wasn’t already in love with the man by then, she would’ve fallen right there.)

Not that she has the greatest track record. Her ex-husband has already killed the psychologist and paralegal involved in their divorce, and there’s no telling when he’ll find them, or what he’ll do when he does.

Shaking her head to rid herself of these dark thoughts, she continues, “I know, and we appreciate it like so much, but we can’t pay you Oliver. I don’t want to be a burden. What if you want to bring someone over and then you remember you can’t because you’ve got a random woman and her child staying in your home?”

Oliver gives her a look of confusion. “Random...? Bring someone--? Felicity, you aren’t random, and there won’t be anyone coming over. I’m not-- I mean, I don’t-- I’m not really looking for that.”

“Oh.”

They end up just staring at each other until Eli gets annoyed with the lack of attention and demands that someone read him ‘that wizardy book’ again.

***

It’s been 5 months since they met when he realizes.

Cooper has now killed three people, all connected with the case, and Felicity tries to hide it, but he can tell that at this point she’s just waiting for everything she loves to be ripped away from her.

Someone is with them all the time, either him or Digg, and when he comes back from some simple grocery shopping and looks up, the first thing he sees is Felicity and Eli under a pillow fort in his living room. Digg’s watching them with amusement from another seat in the room, and he nods to Oliver as he gets up to leave.

“Eli wanted to go on an adventure. This is the closest we could get to one, but I think it turned out pretty great,” he says before he leaves the apartment.

Oliver’s torn between a broken heart at Eli’s innocent request that they can’t accommodate and a swelling heart from seeing them so comfortable and relaxed in his home.

He loves them. He loves her.

He wants this always.

Oh. Crap.

***

No fraternizing with clients becomes his new mantra, but he only lasts a few days. She isn’t paying him, so he doesn’t work for her and she’s technically not a client. She’s just put Eli to bed when she comes back to the living room and accidentally trips over her own two feet.

He catches her, of course, and then they’re just staring at each other and he can’t think and he should let her go now but--

He kisses her.

She freezes for a millisecond before melting into him, and he’s about to start internally cheering when she suddenly pulls away with a terrified expression on her face.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Oliver…”, she stares at the ground, “I don’t know if I can do this.”

His heart sinks, but he swallows through it and says, “Why? Is it because of the professionalism thing? I know it’s a little weird, but you technically haven’t been my client since you two moved in here, so it doesn’t really apply.” He waits for her to respond, but the longer it takes the more he starts to doubt himself. “Wait, did I make you uncomfortable?” he starts backing away from her, “God, Felicity, I’m so sorry; I didn’t even think of that. I’m supposed to be protecting you and here I am forcing myself on you. If you want I can get Digg to permanently--”

“Oliver, stop!” His mouth snaps shut.

Felicity takes a deep breath before continuing, “That isn’t it. There’s no one else in the world who makes me feel safer. Makes us feel safer,” she turns back a little toward where they both know Eli is sleeping before angling herself back to face him, “I just… I’m just… scared. What if this is adrenaline or close quarters or something, and then you wake up one morning and realize you don’t actually want this. I can’t do casual relationships! I have a son to think about and also a psycho hellbent-on-murder ex-husband and--”

This time he shuts her up. With his mouth.

He holds her face in his hands like she’s the most precious thing in the world as he kisses her, and when he pulls back he doesn’t go far, leaning their foreheads together. “Felicity,” he starts,”I get it. You don’t exactly have the best experience with men and relationships. I don’t either. But I’ve never felt this way before, about anyone, and I know it’s only been like 5 months but I lo-- care about you a lot. And Eli. I can’t really imagine coming home and not having you two here. I swear to you, I’m all in.”

She’s staring at him with tears in her eyes, and she’s still terrified, but… she loves him. So she swallows through the lump in her throat and whispers “Ok” before she leans back in to kiss him again.

***

Eli takes the change in their relationship in stride. Felicity freezes when he wanders in to the living room the next day only to find them kissing, but his only response is “Does that mean get to keep Mr. Oliver forever?”

She doesn’t know how to answer that question, but Oliver just smiles and bends down to his level to ruffle his hair and responds with “Yeah. That’s exactly what this means.”

She still has trouble sleeping from the constant anxiety of Cooper possibly showing up any second, but Oliver really does make everything better. The three of them share the bed a few nights, and something about having her boys right there with her lulls her fast to sleep.

***

“Felicity!”

Oliver’s sharp call has her scrambling out of the bedroom where she just put Eli’s bedtime book away, and when she makes it to the living room she finds him standing in front of the television where a breaking news graphic erupts across the screen.

“Breaking news: In our continuing coverage of the multiple shootings across the state, it seems a suspect has now been identified. Cooper Seldon was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound moments ago. Police have not yet stated what his motive was, or if he also has any connection to the recent rash of robberies across the city.”

She collapses.

“He’s-- ? What? I mean, ...he’s gone?” Her voice is shaking almost as much as she is, and it takes her a second to realize that Oliver caught her before she hit the ground and has guided them over to the couch.

“He’s gone,” she says almost absently, like she can’t even believe it’s real in the first place.

Oliver rubs her back soothingly, “He’s gone, Felicity. You’re safe. You and Eli are safe.”

She couldn’t stop the torrent of tears that follows even if she wanted to. It’s like the biggest weight has been lifted off her shoulder. There’s no threat. She’s safe. Her baby is safe. Cooper will never plague her or her family again.

Oliver holds her until she cries herself to sleep, and then he carefully carries her to their bed. She sleeps a full 8 hours for the first time in 7 years, wrapped safe in his arms.

***

They get married 2 years later on the anniversary of the day they met. Eli is excited he gets to be the flower boy, the sun is shining, their friends are there, and she feels like finally.

She’s finally found home.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading to the end lol :)


End file.
